Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to a musical tone control device and, in particular, relate to a musical tone control device which may be controlled in conformance with performance operations by a user using an operation terminal during performance of the musical tone control device.
Musical tone control devices have always been popular among musical instrument players and often used for controlling a musical tone generated by an electronic musical instrument and the like, in order to achieve a desired musical performance. In these musical tone control devices, various kinds of control operations, including a modulation of the musical tone, can be operated by the user.
One such example is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication (Kokai) Number H7-121165, which discloses a tone control device in which when a first operation terminal is operated, a pitch of a generated tone is gradually changed in a fixed manner (i.e., a pitch change occurs). When a second operation terminal is additionally operated while the first operation terminal is being operated, the pitch begins to periodically move up and down while keeping its center pitch at the pitch obtained when the second operation terminal was operated. This is known as a “vibrato effect,” which is a frequent and periodical pitch change of a musical tone. At this time, the pitch is periodically set to be the center pitch.
Another example is disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Number 3465466, which discloses a tone control device equipped with a pitch bend wheel. When the pitch bend wheel is manipulated or otherwise operated and then stopped (and remains stopped), a vibrato effect, which is produced by an LFO (low frequency oscillator), is automatically applied. On the other hand, when the pitch bend wheel is being moved or otherwise operated, a vibrato effect produced by the LFO may be suppressed. This allows novice users to achieve a vibrato effect automatically without operating the pitch bend wheel, which is known as an “automatic vibrato.” In addition, this allows more experienced users to use the pitch bend wheel to apply and suppress the vibrato effect.
However, with the tone control device disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application Publication (Kokai) Number H7-121165, it is difficult even for experienced users to start the vibrato effect at a user's desired pitch. First, the user would be required to operate the first operation terminal (e.g., the pitch bend wheel) to gradually change a pitch of a generated tone. Next, the user would be required to operate the second operation terminal to apply a vibrato effect when changing the pitch being manipulated by the first operation terminal reaches a desired pitch. This requires the user to determine himself or herself whether the pitch has reached the desired pitch, for example by listening to the changing pitch to determine whether the desired pitch has been reached.
In addition, with the tone control device disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication Number 3465466, the automatic vibrato may be applied unexpectedly when movement of the pitch bend wheel is stopped. This may occur, for example, even at an undesired pitch while the pitch bend wheel is being operated. In other words, because the vibrato effect is applied automatically, the user cannot obtain a desired altered pitch for a certain period of time (i.e., when the movement of the pitch bend wheel is stopped) without the vibrato being automatically applied.